It Takes Danger To Realize Love
by KatieAmyPond
Summary: The 10th Doctor's long-time enemy, The Master, has unleashed the ultimate plot to break the Doctor: Kidnap Rose. The danger makes the Doctor realize he truly loves Rose, and it changes their relationship forever.
1. Realizing Something's Wrong

The Doctor looked at Rose, who was still unconscious. He still couldn't believe they'd escaped alive. Well, Rose anyway. He couldn't die, he could always regenerate. Rose couldn't. The Doctor was holding Rose; she'd been knocked unconscious by the explosion and fallen into his arms. He'd barely made it into the TARDIS and taken off. He lay Rose down gently on a pop-out bed and grabbed his medical kit to tend to Rose's injuries. His TARDIS had hidden rooms and he needed the medical bay. He pushed her hair out of her eyes. She would've looked like she was peacefully sleeping if it weren't for the fact she'd nearly been killed. The Doctor sighed, he felt like it was his fault. He had said he'd take Rose to Barcelona, the planet. She'd given him that small, sweet smile and grinned. "Okay!" she'd said excitedly. How was he supposed to know he'd be walking into a trap?

It was like any other normal day. The Doctor was taking Rose Tyler to Barcelona, like he'd promised in his 9th incarnation. Rose was excited. The Doctor laughed. "Rose, don't tell me you're gonna get too excited as soon as we get out, it took you awhile to realize what I said last time." Rose rolled her eyes. "Hey, in my defense, you never told me when you were taking me. As soon as I found out you were taking me now, my emotions took over." The Doctor grinned and his eyes twinkled. "They took over all right. When's the last time you kissed a guy like that?" Rose turned red and grinned mysteriously. "Wouldn't you like to know." She challenged playfully. The Doctor just smiled and guided the TARDIS to an alley where they could land after reaching the planet. "As much as you would like to tell." He replied. Rose laughed and gave him a playful shove.

They got out of the TARDIS and headed into the city. After a few hours of sightseeing and an early supper, they started to head back. Neither had any clue that they were being followed. Rose was smiling and laughing. "That was so fun! Thank you so much!" The Doctor smiled. "Anytime, Rose." The guy following them smirked then pulled out a stun gun. "If you don't want to get hurt, put your hands on your head!" They turned around, surprised and saw a man pointing a gun at them. The Doctor recognized it as a stun gun. "Hey, what's going on here?" The guy glared. "Shut up if you don't want to get hurt!" Rose stepped on his foot. "Listen to him, Doctor. Please." The Doctor sighed and put his hands on his head as Rose did the same. The guy grabbed Rose, whose face paled when she saw his face up close. She knew him. The Doctor's hearts began to pound. "Hey! Let her go!" The guy turned his gun on her. "You want me to kill her? No? Then shut up!" The Doctor glared, about to do something, but Rose stopped him. "Doctor, please. Calm down and he won't hurt me." The guy just grunted and started to drag Rose away. An accomplice of the guy came out of an alley to restrain the Doctor as he began to go after them. While he was attempting to fight of the accomplice, the guy pinned Rose against the wall. "So you recognize me?" Rose glared. "How could I not? You hate me." He smirked. "And you know why?" She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. But it never happened that way." He shook his head. "Wrong. I know everything, Bad Wolf." Rose stared. "How'd you…" "If you're after somebody and are looking for them for 5 years, you tend to find out certain things about them." The guy hissed. Meanwhile, the Doctor was trying desperately to fight off the guy restraining him. "Let—Rose—go!" he yelled. Rose heard him and smiled. Her captor growled and started twisting her wrist. Rose grimaced but didn't cry out. The Doctor struggled harder as Rose's captor twisted harder. Rose managed to kick him in the shin and he stopped. The Doctor broke free and pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the door of the building that was the corner of the alley. The explosion that followed knocked Rose unconscious and stunned the two guys.

These events replayed in the Doctor's mind as he watched over Rose, still unconscious. They were just drifting in space at the moment, the Doctor having made a quick escape. "Please wake up Rose." He heard himself say. "Please…" As if she heard him, Rose stirred. The Doctor's hearts began to pound. Groaning, Rose opened her eyes. She saw the Doctor and smiled. "Hey there." The Doctor smiled. "How're you feeling?" She sighed. "My wrist hurts. And my head. But it doesn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. As soon as the explosion went off I thought it was over. How'd I survive?" He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I caught you as you fell. I just wanted you out of there alive. So I used my sonic screwdriver." Rose stared. "That explosion could've killed you!" He shrugged. "I know. I would've just regenerated. But you can't. I couldn't stand losing you." The Doctor looked away so she wouldn't see his tears. Rose stared, amazed. He'd risked his life to save hers. She made to hug him, but a cry of pain escaped. The Doctor jumped up, tears forgotten. "What? What's wrong?" Rose gritted her teeth to keep from crying out again. "I think my wrist's broken from that guy twisting so much." The Doctor wrapped up her hand and made sure it didn't hurt. "Thanks," Rose said softly. "Doesn't hurt anymore." He smiled. "That's good. Mind if I ask you some questions?" She knew by the tone of his voice what was coming. She sighed. "I guess I can't avoid this any longer." The Doctor sighed. "Who were those guys? And how do they know you?" Rose swallowed. "Their names are Rick and Harold. When you were in your 9th incarnation, they were the two guys harassing us on Poosh. They hate me because of the Cybermen-Dalek war. We weren't on the same side, so they wanted revenge." The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "What kind of "revenge"?" Rose turned away. "You don't really want to know." He sighed. "Rose, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on." Rose swallowed. "Part of their revenge involves you. They were going to use you…somehow." The Doctor heard the hesitation at the end of the sentence. "I heard that hesitation. What d'you mean by "somehow"?" She turned away again. "You don't want to know." He decided to try to get a clue by playing along. "Why wouldn't I want to know?" Rose looked at him at last, tears forming. "Because you don't like my life in danger, especially by two guys after me for 5 years." She whispered.

The Doctor let those words run through his mind. Rose's life hadn't been in danger until he'd used his sonic screwdriver. Rick had said if they listened to him, he wouldn't hurt Rose, and even she believed him. Or appeared to. Had she been trying to protect him by sacrifice? Harold, the guy restraining him, seemed familiar. But _why_? The Doctor had the feeling he'd heard of, met or was going to meet Harold. Yes, he'd already technically met him. But he didn't know him. Or did he? He'd heard of one Harold. A Harold Saxon.

As these thoughts ran through the Doctor's mind, Rose came out and sat down next to him. "Hey, you alright?" He looked at her and smiled. "Yeah, fine. Just thinking." She sighed. "Don't think about what I told you. You know I didn't tell you everything, but don't try to piece it together." He stared, surprised. Something was really bothering Rose. "Why? You know I need to find out about those guys." Rose looked down. "I know, but the truth would scare you. Rick was faking about not killing me. He just said he wouldn't so you'd be less of a threat to him. I realized that so I faked believing him to save you." The Doctor closed his eyes and opened them again. He'd guessed right, trust Rose to do something like that. She continued, noticing his reaction and rolling her eyes, half amused by it. "Anyway, my guess is that when he saw you struggling, he realized he could use me against you. So he's probably planning another ambush, but with a different result." She halted, knowing he had to know but not wanting to tell him. "And the result would be?" Rose sighed and looked him in the eye. "You hate my life in danger. So, he's probably planning to—to kidnap me."

"Rose, why in the world would you keep something like that quiet?" he asked, strangely calm. Rose eyed him, as if she couldn't believe he wasn't running around crazily. "Because…uh…well…I didn't want you scared or picking a fight with them, especially if you don't know them." The Doctor looked at her. "Actually, I might know one of them," he said quietly. Rose looked at him sharply. "Which one?" He answered slowly. "Harold. Remember when we were in London for that election? One of the candidates, his name was Harold. Harold Saxon." Rose felt a chill sweep the room. "Harold Saxon….what would he have against us?" The Doctor paced and then the answer came to him. "I've just realized who he is. And that makes these guys even more dangerous." "Who is he?" Rose asked, heart pounding. He turned to face her, face grim. "The Master."

"How is he the Master?" Rose asked, puzzled. The Doctor thought before he replied, "When I went into the future, he was Prime Minister. He said the best way to get at someone is to take what he loves most. He must have come back in time….he's a Time Lord, like me. We're the only two left." Rose wondered why Saxon wanted to get back at the Doctor. "So what's he doing with Rick? I don't think he knows who Saxon really is." The Doctor sighed. "They're partners. Saxon must have met Rick, who must have already been conspiring a way to ambush us. When he learned Rick was after you, he must have deduced you'd be with me, something Rick already knew. Saxon offered to help, saying he knew us well and could get us. And Rick agreed." Rose's eyes widened. "So this is a bigger plot than we thought." The Doctor nodded. "We need Jack now. This is more serious than I thought." In spite of their situation, Rose smiled. "Captain Jack?" The Doctor smiled too. "Yep. Captain Jack Harkness. So, we'd better head for Torchwood!" Rose nodded, but couldn't help thinking about one particular thing the Doctor said: The best way to get back at someone is to take what he loves most.

When the TARDIS arrived at Torchwood, Jack came out to meet them. "Well Doctor, long time no see. Glad to see you." The Doctor half smiled. "No flirting." Jack laughed. "Hey, it's just a simple hello! Some people." Rose giggled. "Hello, Jack." He turned to her. "Well hey there Rose. Been even longer since I've seen you. I think the last time was when you brought me back to life….with an extra benefit." Rose smiled. "What, a girl to look at?" Jack looked impressed with the comeback and turned to the Doctor. "You taught her that didn't you?" The Doctor shrugged. "She taught herself that."Jack just raised his eyebrows and looked at Rose. "I meant the little fact that you made me immortal, but I'm game with a girl to look at."Rose laughed as the Doctor rolled his eyes. "I said no flirting." Jack put his hands up in mock surrender. "I stopped. Now, I'm guessing you didn't come here to yell at me for being happy to see you again." The Doctor sighed. "No, we didn't. We came for help."

Once inside, Jack led them into a secret room he used for private conversations with the Doctor and his companions. "Well, what do you need? Seems serious by the look on your face." The Doctor sighed and glanced at Rose who gave him a look. So he told Jack what had been going on and why they needed him. Jack whistled. "So you think Saxon is the guy me and you met on that one trip. Wow." Rose looked at him. "Something happened on that trip didn't it? Now would be a good time to tell me." Jack looked at the Doctor, who shrugged. "May as well Jack, after what nearly happened to her." Rose looked at Jack. "So what happened?" Jack scratched his neck. "The man we met that the Doctor suspects to be Saxon was having a conversation with another guy. I don't know what they were talking about, but I caught the words 'Rose' and 'Get her'. Told the Doctor but we didn't know what to make of it." The Doctor began to feel guilty. He might have been able to prevent some of this. But he'd thought it was no concern, Rose hadn't been with them. Rose saw his expression and sighed. "It's not your fault, I wasn't with you. Besides, I'm not the only Rose in the universe." He looked up at her. "I know, I just…." Rose kissed him softly. "I'm still here and besides, we got Jack with us now, and you know how people are about messing with him." The Doctor smiled. "Exactly why I want him with us." Jack smiled. "You got yourself a deal."

Jack told his Torchwood team he had to leave for a little while but would be back. "And a little while means about several weeks. Maybe longer." Gwen sighed. "Alright. But you better come back or this project goes on hold." Jack raised his eyebrows. "So anxious for me to come back, huh? Like how you just slipped 'our project' in there." Gwen rolled her eyes and both she and the Doctor said at the same time, "Stop flirting!" Rose giggled and Jack laughed.

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor set the coordinates for Earth. Jack and his crew had set up a new Torchwood base that wasn't on Earth, so that was where they picked him up. Rose was in her bedroom, thinking. She hadn't told the Doctor, but she was really scared. She knew if she told him, he would be even more worried. Rose loved him, she couldn't do that to him. _I hate keeping secrets from him_, she thought. Jack knocked on the door. "Rose? You alright?" He opened the door. "Hi Jack," Rose said, looking up at him. "I'm….fine." Jack raised his eyebrows. "Why the pause?" Rose looked away. "No reason…" Jack sighed. "What's bothering you?" She sighed and turned back to him. "I don't want to worry the Doctor." Jack sat down, and cocked his head, his way of letting her know she could continue. "Jack, please don't make me talk about it." "You know I'm not gonna leave until I know what's bothering you. And the Doctor is already worried about you." Rose sighed. "I know, but I don't want to worry him even more. He knows me as a tough girl." Jack started. What had she meant by that? Wait a minute…. "Rose, it's normal to be scared." She looked down, trying not to cry. "I know, but he doesn't know I'm scared." Jack sighed. "Look at me, Rose." She hesitantly looked up at him. "What?" He took a breath. "I know you want to talk so you can get that feeling off your chest. And I know you don't want to tell the Doctor. If you tell me, I promise I won't tell him." She considered the offer. "Fine. But if you tell him without me knowing, I'll kill you for the rest of your life." Jack laughed and even Rose cracked a smile at her empty threat.

After talking to Jack, Rose felt considerably better. She decided to go back to the console room again. The Doctor looked up as she walked in. "Finally came back, huh? I was starting to think you were sick, you don't usually disappear like that." Rose shrugged. "Needed some time alone to think." He cocked an eyebrow but attempted to hide it. Rose noticed though and grinned. "You'll never be able to hide that from me." The Doctor laughed and set the TARDIS on autopilot. He knew something was bothering Rose, and wanted to ask her about it. "Rose," he said slowly. "Can I ask you about something?" Rose wondered if he suspected. She hoped not. "Okay…" she said cautiously, prepared to lie if she had to. The Doctor noticed her tone and hesitated, but carried on. "Was something bothering you earlier?" Rose swallowed and tried to keep her voice even. She had no idea Jack was watching them, hidden in a corner. "Nothing's bothering me, Doctor. Just wanted to think for awhile, that's all." He sighed. "Rose, come on. I know something's up, I just want to help." Rose knew the game was up, but she was pretty stubborn. "Everything's fine." Despite the seriousness, the Doctor had to crack a smile. "Rose Tyler, you are one stubborn girl." Rose rolled her eyes. "Fine. Game's up, I suppose." The Doctor turned serious. "Okay Rose, what's going on?"

Jack chose that moment to sneak back to his room unnoticed, knowing the two would come to terms at last. Rose told the Doctor the truth, how scared she really was, how she thought they might use the Doctor against her or vice versa, everything. The Doctor looked at her, his brain going into overdrive with his emotions. "Why did you try to hide it from me?" he asked gently, not hurt, just confused. Rose felt her face grow warm but she ignored it. "I didn't want to worry you 'cause you know me as Rose Tyler, Defender of Earth." The Doctor smiled and chuckled, causing Rose to grin too. After the slight laughter subsided, the Doctor took Rose's hand and looked into her brown eyes. "Rose, don't feel that way. Being scared isn't something to be ashamed of. And you have a right to be scared; these guys are trying to kidnap you." Rose shivered and the Doctor hugged her, acting without thinking. Rose hugged him back, taking comfort at the sound of his double heartbeat. "Rose, I will do my very best to protect you. No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you." Rose smiled and did something that surprised both of them: she kissed him on his forehead.


	2. Awkward Moments And Meeting Ianto Jones

It had been a week, and neither Rose nor the Doctor talked about the kiss. It was starting to get awkward when they bumped into each other. Rose couldn't help but be amused by the situation. The Doctor always seemed a bit flustered nowadays, and when he talked to Rose, he never looked her in the eye. Soon, she began to get bored by the situation and decided to talk about the kiss. The Doctor was in the console room, staring at the monitor. Rose took a deep breath. 'Okay Rose, go for it.' she thought "Doctor? Can I ask you something?" The Doctor looked up, surprised. "Sure." he said, his hearts starting to beat a little bit faster. 'Not now,' he thought. Rose bit her lip. "How come you don't look at me anymore? When you talk to me?" The Doctor looked up, but then looked down. Rose wondered if he was alright. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. "I, um, well, I—I don't know." The Doctor replied, a bit flustered. Ever since she'd kissed him, his emotions had gone haywire. Why was she making him feel this way? Rose sighed. "Yeah you do. C'mon, why ?" The Doctor looked her in the eye. "Because I think I'm starting to fall in love with you."

Jack was starting to wonder exactly how long the Doctor would take before he stopped denying his feelings for Rose. That first week had given new meaning to the term "awkward moment". He was starting to wonder if the tension would just kill the TARDIS. As Jack was having these thoughts, the Doctor came into his bedroom. "Jack?" Jack jumped, startled. "Geez! You scared the heck outta me!" The Doctor grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. But I need to talk to you." Jack cocked an eyebrow. "Let me guess. You confessed to Rose that you love her." The Doctor looked shocked. "How'd you know?" Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh please. The way you look at her, talk about her, even trying to avoid her gave it away. You loved her the moment you saved her from the Autons when you first met her." The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, I have. I've been kind of nervous about telling her." Jack shook his head. "Typical Timelord. Can save the universe with ease, but when it comes to love, even your big brains can't handle it." The Doctor growled. "Oi, none of that." Jack laughed. "Go find Rose, you two need to talk."

"Because I think I'm starting to fall in love with you." Those words echoed in Rose's mind as she tried to make sense of what just happened. She sat on the couch, thinking. As the Doctor turned red, panicking and running to find Jack, she sat down, trying to sort out her emotions and calm herself down. She'd always loved the Doctor, and he had just said the words that made her universe jump for joy. "Well, there's going to definite awkwardness now." Rose said to herself. At that moment, the Doctor ran in, looking flustered. Rose looked up at him and fought a smirk as she watched him run his hand through his spiky hair. A moment later, the Doctor broke the awkward silence. "Er…Rose…c—can we t—talk?" Rose fought a grin. "Sure." She replied, heart beginning to pound. He hesitated, then sat down beside her. "Um, so….yeah, I…." Rose couldn't help it, she let out a small giggle. "I get it. You're falling for me." The Doctor chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I am." Rose smiled, a bit nervous herself. "So, uh…..what happens now?" The Doctor shrugged. "Er….go on a—a date?" Rose grinned widely, so happy the Doctor smiled too. "I'd love to!" she said excitedly.

"Okay Doctor, first dates don't usually involve Jack popping out of a cake." Rose said, laughing while the Doctor tried to be annoyed but failed when Rose reminded him of his facial expression when Jack burst out of the chocolate cake Rose had begged him for after lunch at a French café. They had been chatting happily when Jack suddenly popped out of the chocolate cake the Doctor had gotten for Rose. She was happily about to take a slice when Jack's head burst up, scaring her and the Doctor. After 30 seconds of stunned silence, Jack and Rose burst out laughing and the Doctor shook his head, promising himself to lock Jack in the TARDIS next time. As the trio walked back to the TARDIS, Jack began to feel uneasy, as if something no—good was lurking about. He stopped, looking around. The Doctor noticed and doubled back, concern etching into his features. "What is it Jack?" he asked in a low voice as Rose grabbed his hand, suddenly feeling shivery. Jack shrugged. "I dunno, I was walking and then I got this ominous feeling, like we're being followed." He looked at the Doctor, and his expression conveyed the question in their minds: Was Saxon tracking them?

Once back in the TARDIS, the Doctor immediately went to the controls to get them into the vortex. Jack went to his room to sleep off his worries. Rose felt too worried to do anything. She was wandering the corridors, lost in her thoughts. Saxon scared her more than she cared to admit and she didn't want the Doctor to know that. The TARDIS sensed Rose's distress and hummed comfortingly. Rose gave a small smile. "Thanks girl. This isn't easy, but I don't want to worry him." The TARDIS hummed again and a door appeared to Rose's right. Rose raised her eyebrows and opened the door slowly. She gasped as she saw what was on the other side. It was the Doctor's "Thinking Room", as he'd called it one time. The walls were blue and a desk was on the far side of the room. The carpet was silver and there was a bookshelf along the left wall. Rose stepped inside and looked around before she went over to the desk. There was an envelope with "Rose Tyler" printed in bold on the front. Rose picked it up slowly and opened it. Inside was a letter. She unfolded it and read it:

_Dear Rose,_

_I know you're feeling really scared right now. The only way you're reading this letter is if the TARDIS has sensed your distress and guided you to this room. I can guess as to how you feel. Being wanted isn't a fun experience. Believe me I know. Ever since I realized Saxon's true identity, I have felt rather grim. Especially since I found out there's a price on our heads. That probably just made you more nervous, sorry about that. I just want you to know something. Don't keep your feelings to yourself. Please. I'm always here to talk. I know this is hard, but we'll get through it. I know I'm not perfect, but I will do my very best to protect you. You know I will. I love you. _

_~The Doctor_

Rose sat down. "Wow." She thought. A knowing smile came onto her face. He'd known she was feigning being fine. Although she'd fooled him in the cafe. There was no way he could have known when she wandered around the TARDIS . Her mask had been up. Rose looked up and patted the TARDIS wall. "Thanks for looking out for me girl." She whispered. The TARDIS hummed softly, as if to say _Anytime_. At that moment, the Doctor knocked. "Rose? Can I come in?" Rose opened the door. He smiled and hugged her. Although taken by surprise, Rose quickly returned it. She was still clutching the letter. As they pulled out of the hug, Rose felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted. "Thanks for the letter." She said. The Doctor smiled. "I'm not good at comforting females face-to-face. So I wrote a letter." Rose giggled. "I figured that from when I first met you. You weren't too good at greetings then, were you?" she said, grinning. He laughed, remembering the meeting at the shop where Rose worked: _The Doctor was explaining to Rose how he had to blow up the shop to deactivate the Autons. When he was done, he asked, "What's your name?" Rose, still a bit confused, replied, "Rose." The Doctor grinned like a madman. He waved his bomb around. "Nice to meet you Rose! Run for your life!" _The Doctor shrugged, still grinning at the memory. "I'd just regenerated; I was still a bit off." Rose scoffed. "A _bit_? You still are!" He laughed and held up his arms in an 'I surrender' gesture. "What can I say? I'm the Doctor!" Rose laughed happily and kissed him. "Too right you are."

Rose and the Doctor came into the console room, where they found Jack with the TARDIS doors open, sitting with his legs swinging in space. He was looking at the various stars and planets, frowning. He was thinking about Ianto, his boyfriend. Jack was staring at a bright blue planet with green swirls; Ianto's home planet, called Marbella. It was called Marbella because the swirls made the planet look like a giant marble. The Doctor softly tapped Jack on the shoulder. Jack jumped, but stayed inside the ship. "Blimey, you nearly killed me!" Rose laughed. "You woulda popped back up in 5 seconds." Jack rolled his eyes, but they twinkled. "What d'you need Doc?" he asked. The Doctor smiled. "I saw you out here. I know you miss Ianto. I was wondering if you'd like to visit him. I know he's home, Torchwood messaged your phone. Figured you would want to know." Jack smiled. "I'd love to see Ianto!"

Ianto was home alone, watching TV and just relaxing. He had a vacation from work after a particularly nasty incident involving a baby Silurian. Ianto remembered how the Silurian got a hold of one of Jack's laser guns after breaking out of its cage and was hell-bent on destroying the Torchwood hub. Tosh, Gwen, Rhys and him had chased the baby all over the hub, dodging laser shots and trying to re-capture the escapee. Ianto chuckled as he remembered Rhys, shouting "Screw it!" and tackling the baby Silurian and putting it back in its cage with a camouflage blanket. Tosh had given the baby some sausage, a food everyone found out calmed baby Silurians. Ianto had decided to call the baby "Porky" after that. Gwen rolled her eyes at the name but it stuck. Ianto was brought out of his musings by a knock at his door. He got off the couch and opened the door to see Jack, the Doctor and Rose. "Jack!" Ianto cried, happy to see him. It had been a week and a half since he'd last seen his boyfriend. That was a long time apart for those two. Jack's face split into wide grin at seeing Ianto. He gave him a big manly hug, then stepped back and introduced the Doctor and Rose. "Ianto, this is the Doctor, the one I told you about. The blonde is Rose Tyler, his girlfriend." Ianto shook hands with them both and invited them in.

Ianto's flat was pretty simple. There was a soft couch, a big arm chair, a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. His floors were carpeted, a light brown. The walls were painted gray and there were a few pictures of the Torchwood team and of Jack and Ianto. Jack and Ianto sat on the couch while Rose sat in the arm chair. The Doctor preferred standing, but he stayed close to Rose. Jack shared with Ianto about the adventures he'd been on and why the Doctor had asked him to travel with them. Ianto whistled. "Wow. So basically you guys are on the run?" The Doctor shook his head. "Not exactly. We still go places, but we're very cautious. We always look out for anything suspicious." Ianto nodded in understanding. "I get you. Do you want me to have Torchwood put out an alarm for those guys?" Rose shrugged. "I dunno if it would work. The Master's a Time Lord, he can probably travel through time just like the Doctor. Although if people knew about them, we might be able to delay their plans." The Doctor considered. Finally he said, "How about this Ianto: We'll keep traveling, but don't put out the alarm. If bad things start getting out of control, we'll come back and have the alarm put out." Ianto nodded. "Sounds good. Also, if things get really hectic, as in traveling gets dangerous, you're welcome to stay with me." The Doctor smiled. "Thank you Ianto. Hope this won't be too much trouble." Ianto shook his head. "I'm happy to help. And….I know you're not fond of Torchwood. But Jack changed us. In honor of you. We're on your side." The Doctor swallowed, then nodded curtly. "Just use weapons as a last resort, not your first choice alright? You have to give them a chance." Ianto nodded and shook the Doctor's hand. "You have my word." The Doctor smiled, satisfied. Rose went up to Ianto. "Thanks for everything." She said. Ianto smiled. "Don't mention it Rose. You're a friend to us. You need help, we're here." Rose smiled and went over to the Doctor, laying her head on his shoulder while he put his arm around her back. Jack hugged Ianto tightly. "I missed you so much, buddy." He said, sad to leave. Ianto sighed. "I missed you too Jack. Flat gets a bit lonely without you." Jack smirked. "As long as you don't replace me, I promise to come back." Ianto rolled his eyes and grinned. "No one could replace you. Except perhaps a weevil." Jack pretended to grab his chest in pain. "My heart has been broken!" he cried out dramatically. Rose laughed and the Doctor cracked a grin. Ianto laughed and kissed Jack. "See you later bud." Jack saluted. "See ya."


	3. Rose's Birthday

Back on board the TARDIS, Jack went to his room and took a nap. The Doctor put the ship on auto-pilot then turned to Rose. "So….want to see something?" Rose nodded. "Yeah." The Doctor held out his hand and she took it. He led her down a hidden corridor and into a room. Rose felt her jaw drop. Inside the room was like a whole new world. It was really part of one. "Rose, this a replicated part of Gallifrey. The TARDIS automatically made a replica of my home planet since I ran away. This is the only surviving part, in a sense. And you get to see it." Rose was speechless as she looked around. It was exactly as the Doctor had described. The citadel, city and color were breath-taking. Rose walked around, studying everything. She looked at famous landmarks and explored the inside of the citadel. She spent hours exploring Gallifrey, having developed a liking for the planet when the Doctor had briefly told her about it. Rose went back to the Doctor and hugged him. "Thank you," she whispered. "How'd you know I wanted to see your home?" The Doctor smiled as he returned the hug. "I could see it in your eyes." Rose laughed softly and, still hugging him, lay her head against the Doctor's muscular chest where she could hear the steady _thump-thump thump-thump of_ his two hearts. After a moment, they broke apart and left the room. Rose went to her room to take a nap, having suddenly felt tired. Perhaps the Doctor's embrace did that to you. The Doctor went into his room, where he went over to his desk and pulled a small box out of a compartment. He opened it and slowly took out what was inside. It was his birthday present for Rose: a necklace. But it wasn't any old necklace; attached to it was a charm, with her name written in Gallifreyan. Her birthday was tomorrow, not that she knew that. Time didn't really pass in the TARDIS. But he had his ways of telling how much time had passed. Rose had been with him for a year now. He wanted to give her something special, especially considering they were together. _She'll love your gift. _The TARDIS told the Doctor in his mind. The Doctor jumped, having forgotten about his psychic connection with his ship. "How do you know?" he asked, knowing that if it was Jack he'd been asking, he'd never hear the end of it. _We talk. _The TARDIS replied vaguely. The Doctor sighed. "If you say so."

The next day, the Doctor came out of his room from one of his rare sleeping moments to find Jack and Rose in the garden. It was Rose's favorite room on board the TARDIS. She'd fallen in love with it when she'd first stepped foot inside the TARDIS. The Doctor walked in slowly, smiling as he saw the big smile on Rose's face as she talked to Jack. He'd given her a pure gold bracelet with her initials. Rose happened to turn around while she was talking and saw the Doctor. "Doctor!" she cried out and ran to hug him. He smiled widely and picked her up off the ground and spun her around. She laughed happily as he set her down. "Happy Birthday Rose!" he said, withdrawing the box with the necklace from his pocket. Rose's eyes lit up and she turned to Jack. "So that's why you gave me the bracelet!" Jack laughed. "Yep. Not very many people can brag that they have a pure gold bracelet!" Rose grinned and turned back to the Doctor. "So what is it?" He laughed, hearts pounding with excitement and nervousness. "Open it." He might be 903 but it'd been a while since he'd been in this situation. He hoped Rose liked—no, loved, the necklace. He knew she was fascinated with his language so that was why he'd made it. Rose slowly opened the box and gasped when she saw what was inside. With trembling fingers, she carefully lifted out the necklace and traced the Gallifreyan symbols with her fingers, getting a tingly feeling. She looked up at the Doctor, happy tears in her eyes. "Is—is this my name?" she asked in a whisper, awed by the necklace. The Doctor smiled at her expression and handed her a tissue. "Yes Rose, it's your name. In my language." Rose wiped her eyes and held out the necklace to the Doctor. He didn't need to ask, he knew exactly what she wanted. He put it around her neck and made sure the symbols were visible. They looked into each other's eyes and kissed. It wasn't exactly a "normal" kiss. The Doctor's arms were around Rose's neck and Rose had grabbed his tie. Jack coughed after a moment but they didn't break apart. Rose felt so happy, and she let the Doctor know that through their kiss. The Doctor put all his love in the kiss. When they broke apart, they were breathing heavily from lack of air. Jack had slipped out to his makeshift Torchwood office he'd put next door to his bedroom. Neither Rose nor the Doctor cared where Jack was. All they were thinking about was what had just happened. The Doctor coughed awkwardly with a slight smile. "Like my tie don't you?" Rose blushed and let out a small giggle. "Um, I sorta….got caught up…..in the moment." The Doctor let his smirk grow. "I noticed. I'm not exactly blameless either though." Rose laughed. "I could tell. You enjoyed it." The Doctor grinned widely and chuckled. "That I did. Tell you what. There's an actual planet out there for couples. Want to visit?" Rose's eyes lit up. "Are you serious? A planet for couples?" The Doctor laughed. "Yes, I'm serious. If you're single it's illegal for you to go there." Rose chuckled. "Good thing we're together, cause—wait a minute! What about Jack?" The Doctor froze. He'd forgotten about Jack. "Um…." Rose rolled her eyes. "If you're thinking of making a three-some…" Jack chose that moment to walk in, stretching from sitting for too long. He stopped in his tracks at Rose's words. "What're we making a three-some for? Never been a part of one, but there's a first for everything." Rose laughed as the Doctor rolled his eyes. "We are NOT making a three-some Jack. I want to take Rose to the planet for couples, but it's illegal to go there if you're single or your….ahem… "partner" isn't with you." Jack raised an eyebrow. "So….let me get this straight. You're worried about me?" The Doctor sighed. "I didn't say that. I just don't feel like getting arrested. Been awhile since the last time and I don't quite fancy doing it again." Rose and Jack burst out laughing. "When did you get arrested?" Rose asked in between laughs. The Doctor shook his head, exasperated but amused. "Let's just say I can't sing." Jack put his hand over his eyes. "Oh lord….." Rose laughed harder. "What did you try to sing?" The Doctor turned red. "Suit & Tie." He muttered. Rose and Jack's laughter rang through the TARDIS as the Doctor just shook his head. Oh, the irony.


	4. Alone Time

After about two months, the Doctor decided he and Rose needed more "alone time". He found Jack in the TARDIS' makeshift Torchwood office she'd made Jack and knocked. Jack poked his head out the door. "Hey, Doc, cheating on Rose already?" The Doctor rolled his eyes but smiled slightly. "No, but I feel like we're not spending enough time together. I want to stretch out our relationship by going out to that couples planet. Gallifrey knows we're both stressed about Saxon and Rick, but I want to make this work. Rose calms the Oncoming Storm; she brings out the best in me." Jack nodded in understanding. "I've got my vortex manipulator, I'll just goes to Ianto's place." The Doctor nodded. "Give him our best. And Jack?" Jack noticed his serious expression." "Yeah?" The Doctor looked him in the eye. "See if you can have Tosh look into Saxon. I want to know what he's been up to." Jack nodded. "On it. Call if you need me to come back." The Doctor smiled. "I'll give you a ring when Rose and I leave Coupleta." As he said that, Rose came in. "Jack," she said. "I'm gonna miss you." Jack grinned. "If you get sick of him, you know where I am!" Rose laughed and the Doctor shook his head amusedly. "Oh Jack…" they sighed, laughing.

Now that they were alone, the Doctor could take Rose to Coupleta without having to worry about getting arrested. The TARDIS took off with the familiar _Vworp—Vworp _noise and Rose held on for dear life as the familiar rollercoaster ride began. "You know, one day this is gonna kill me!" Rose shouted to be heard above the noise of the TARDIS. The Doctor grinned. "I'm 903 and haven't died yet!" Rose rolled her eyes. "From this maybe. But I know you've died at least nine times already." The TARDIS stopped spinning and landed on Coupleta with a bump and the noise that always meant the Doctor left the brakes on. The Doctor looked at Rose. "I may have died nine times already, but you're gonna die when you open the doors." Rose raised her eyebrows and playfully questioned, "Is it that bad out there?" Her brown eyes sparkled with laughter. The Doctor laughed and rolled his eyes playfully. "Rose Tyler, prepare to take back your words!" He threw open the doors. Rose gasped in amazement. "Wow," she breathed. "This…is amazing!" The Doctor smiled, knowing he'd impressed her. The sky was a shiny silver color with streaks of pink and purple. The "grass" was green like Earth, but waved even when the wind wasn't blowing. The waters were bright blue with silver like the sky, but more transparent than water on Earth. Rose found a red flower, picked it and sniffed it. A sweet scent filled her nostrils; one likened to the smell of baking cookies. With a smile she turned around. "Cookie-smelling flowers, huh?" The Doctor grinned. "Each flower assumes the scent of the picker's favorite smell." Rose giggled. "Romantic." The pair walked around, taking in the beautiful sights and Rose got to see her first extra-terrestrial sunset. Well, triple sunset. Coupleta had three suns, but unlike Earth, they orbited the planet. Rose was captivated, which made the Doctor really happy. They were stretched out on the ground looking at the stars. The Doctor told her of Coupleta's past. "The planet used to be known for trading "love potions". Inter-galactic nomads would come out here and experiment. They would just traverse across the planet, randomly mixing together resources and claiming they had a love potion. Rumor had it one actually worked and that's when the trade boomed." Rose grinned. "Love potions, huh?" The Doctor laughed and rolled his eyes. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking." Rose giggled. Laying there on the grass under the stars, she suddenly had the urge to kiss him. The Doctor was also getting the urge to kiss her. What was stopping him was the thought of what Saxon would do if he found out they were together. It was the first time he'd thought about it. Noticing the troubled look on his face, Rose forgot about romance. "S'matter?" The Doctor jumped, startled. "Huh? Oh, thinking." He hoped that not giving details would ensure that she wouldn't worry. Rose didn't buy it. "Stuff it, what's going on?" If he wasn't in a serious mood, the Doctor would have laughed. Rose had never said 'stuff it' before. "Rose, I don't wanna worry you ." Rose rolled her eyes. "Tell me right now, mister." The Doctor felt a shiver when she said that. _Wow, girl's got a commanding voice. _ Out loud he relented. "Fine. I wanted to kiss you but then I thought about what Saxon might do if he found out we're together." The words brought a memory to Rose: something the Doctor told her. _The best way to get to someone is to take what he loves most. _Rose swallowed, realizing the truth. "Doctor? Remember what you told me all those months ago? About the best way to get to someone?" The Doctor froze, wondering what Rose was getting at. "Yeah, why?" Rose looked at him, and he saw fear in her brown eyes. His hearts plummeted at her next words. "We just walked into the trap Saxon set to get to us."


	5. A Stunning Realization

The Doctor groaned. "Please tell me that's a cruel joke you're playing on me." Rose shook her head. "Nope. I honestly think we walked into a trap." Both of them jumped up, the Doctor pulling out his sonic screwdriver. "We need to get back to the TARDIS, _now_." They bolted back to the TARDIS, but just as the doors shut, Rose heard a voice in her head: _You can run, but you can't hide. _Rose felt a chill as she recognized the voice of the Master. She considered telling the Doctor, but quickly decided not to. If she told him she was hearing voices in her head, especially their enemy's, he'd really panic. Running to the console, the Doctor put in the coordinates for Marbella. It seemed like he couldn't go anywhere alone with Rose without the threat of her being taken away from him. Rose sat on the couch, trying to look calm. She had no idea how Saxon could be in her head, and it unnerved her.

"Rose?" She tensed and looked up at the Doctor, her face clear of any emotion. She couldn't risk him finding out about Saxon in her head. The Doctor cocked his head. "You alright?" _Bad question….._he thought. Rose nodded slowly. "Yeah…just…tense I guess." _Not a total lie,_ she thought. The Doctor nodded. "Not surprised. I've put in the coordinates for Marbella and called Jack to let him know we're coming." Rose nodded. "Okay." Sensing something was bothering her since she showed no emotion, the Doctor sat down beside her. "Rose, are you sure you're alright?" Rose looked at him. "Define 'alright." She said dryly. The Doctor sighed. "I can't." Rose shrugged. "Okay then. What d'you want?" He looked into her eyes. "The truth." _Blimey, he did it again. _She gave half a smile. "Can't hide anything from you, can I? Well here goes. I've sort of began hearing the Master in my head." The Doctor stared. _You've got to be kidding me,_ he thought. "Well that's not good." Rose rolled her eyes. Trust him to state the obvious during a serious moment. "I sorta figured that. But how is he doing it?" The Doctor ran a hand through his spiky hair. Rose mentally smiled. _He's hot when he does that._ She thought. "He's obviously doing it telepathically, so he must have some sort of connection with you. But how would he get one with you?" A memory of the election came up but Rose pushed it to the back of her mind. She didn't think it meant anything. Not then, anyway. "Doctor? Does the stare of a Time Lord into your eyes mean anything?" The Doctor stiffened. "Two things," he said quietly. "What?" Rose asked, heart beating faster. He looked at her. "Love….and a telepathic connection."

Rose stared. The Doctor sighed. "Well that answered how. Now we need to answer when." Rose knew the answer to that. "The election." The Doctor jumped up. "Of course!" At that moment, they landed on Marbella. "C'mon! Let's talk to Jack!" They threw open the doors at the same moment that the door to Jack and Ianto's flat opened. Jack came out and stared when he saw the Doctor but quickly waved and ushered them inside. "What happened?" he asked. Rose answered. "Saxon has a telepathic connection with me. Jack stared, aghast. "What?" The Doctor nodded. "Did Tosh find anything?" Jack nodded as Tosh came in the room. "You must be the Doctor and Rose. I'm Toshiko Sato." They shook her hand. "I found something interesting about Saxon for you." Tosh handed the Doctor a file report. His eyes widened at the contents. "He took hypnotics? He's a Time Lord, why….?" He blinked and thanked Tosh. "This really helps us Tosh. Thank you." Tosh smiled. "Anything to help." She left to go back to Torchwood. Jack voiced what the Doctor was thinking. "You think he studied hypnotics to strengthen his Time Lord sense of hypnotism?" The Doctor nodded. "Not only that, it's how he has the connection with Rose." Rose took a deep breath. "Could he manipulate my thoughts?" The Doctor reached for her head. She held on, realizing she wouldn't like his next words. "No, he can't. But it makes setting traps easier. And hiding harder." Rose now realized what the words Saxon spoke in her head meant. "Doctor." He looked into her eyes. "What did he say?" Rose swallowed. "You can run, but you can't hide."

**Hi guys! Sorry that I haven't really talked before posting chapters. I'm really new to this. You are allowed to review, I get worried no one likes the story if there's no reviews. I'm super sorry about the time gap between updates! I get writer's block a lot. Hope you like the story so far!  
**


	6. The Doctor Domesticates

**Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait, I went on vacation to visit my grandmother. I kept worrying about what you guys were thinking, so here's the next chapter! Please review!**

Rose felt a chill as she recognized the voice of the Master. She considered telling the Doctor, but quickly decided not to. If she told him she was hearing voices in her head, especially their enemy's, he'd really panic. Running to the console, the Doctor put in the coordinates for Marbella. It seemed like he couldn't go anywhere alone with Rose without the threat of her being taken away from him. Rose sat on the couch, trying to look calm. She had no idea how Saxon could be in her head, and it unnerved her.

"Rose?" She tensed and looked up at the Doctor, her face clear of any emotion. She couldn't risk him finding out about Saxon in her head. The Doctor cocked his head. "You alright?" _Bad question….._he thought. Rose nodded slowly. "Yeah…just…tense I guess." _Not a total lie,_ she thought. The Doctor nodded. "Not surprised. I've put in the coordinates for Marbella and called Jack to let him know we're coming." Rose nodded. "Okay." Sensing something was bothering her since she showed no emotion, the Doctor sat down beside her. "Rose, are you sure you're alright?" Rose looked at him. "Define 'alright." She said dryly. The Doctor sighed. "I can't." Rose shrugged. "Okay then. What d'you want?" He looked into her eyes. "The truth." _Blimey, he did it again. _She gave half a smile. "Can't hide anything from you, can I? Well here goes. I've sort of began hearing the Master in my head." The Doctor stared. _You've got to be kidding me,_ he thought. "Well that's not good." Rose rolled her eyes. Trust him to state the obvious during a serious moment. "I sorta figured that. But how is he doing it?" The Doctor ran a hand through his spiky hair. Rose mentally smiled. _He's hot when he does that._ She thought. "He's obviously doing it telepathically, so he must have some sort of connection with you. But how would he get one with you?" A memory of the election came up but Rose pushed it to the back of her mind. She didn't think it meant anything. Not then, anyway. "Doctor? Does the stare of a Time Lord into your eyes mean anything?" The Doctor stiffened. "Two things," he said quietly. "What?" Rose asked, heart beating faster. He looked at her. "Love….and a telepathic connection."

Rose stared. The Doctor sighed. "Well that answered how. Now we need to answer when." Rose knew the answer to that. "The election." The Doctor jumped up. "Of course!" At that moment, they landed on Marbella. "C'mon! Let's talk to Jack!" They threw open the doors at the same moment that the door to Jack and Ianto's flat opened. Jack came out and stared when he saw the Doctor but quickly waved and ushered them inside. "What happened?" he asked. Rose answered. "Saxon has a telepathic connection with me. Jack stared, aghast. "What?" The Doctor nodded. "Did Tosh find anything?" Jack nodded as Tosh came in the room. "You must be the Doctor and Rose. I'm Toshiko Sato." They shook her hand. "I found something interesting about Saxon for you." Tosh handed the Doctor a file report. His eyes widened at the contents. "He took hypnotics? He's a Time Lord, why….?" He blinked and thanked Tosh. "This really helps us Tosh. Thank you." Tosh smiled. "Anything to help." She left to go back to Torchwood. Jack voiced what the Doctor was thinking. "You think he studied hypnotics to strengthen his Time Lord sense of hypnotism?" The Doctor nodded. "Not only that, it's how he has the connection with Rose." Rose took a deep breath. "Could he manipulate my thoughts?" The Doctor reached for her head. She held on, realizing she wouldn't like his next words. "No, he can't. But it makes setting traps easier. And hiding harder." Rose now realized what the words Saxon spoke in her head meant. "Doctor." He looked into her eyes. "What did he say?" Rose swallowed. "You can run, but you can't hide."

Jack, Rose and the Doctor decided traveling was out of the question. "Traveling puts us at greater risk. The Master's a hypnotist, and the Year That Never Was proved he can do it on a massive scale. He could have whole star systems on the lookout for us." He had said. Jack and Ianto let them stay at their flat, true to Ianto's word. The Doctor was not looking forward to domesticating, but knew it would be better for Rose. _It's a noble sacrifice, just do it. _He said to himself. Rose saw his expression and laughed.

"It won't be that bad, gives us time to do some stuff!" Jack bit his cheeks to keep from laughing. The Doctor had to smile at that. "Oh Rose…." He said, grinning. Rose grinned and kissed him. Jack shook his head, smiling. They were perfect for each other. Ianto brought out some food.

"Ready for supper?" he asked. Everyone nodded and went into the kitchen. Ianto had prepared steak and chips with green beans. Rose grinned widely at the sight of the chips. The Doctor laughed and held her hand.

"You and your chips." He teased. Rose laughed. "You and your pinstriped suits!" she teased back. They laughed and sat down beside each other. Jack smiled at the two. _About time he found someone, _he thought. Throughout dinner, the two joked and laughed without a care in the world. Afterwards, the Doctor and Rose asked Jack if they could go somewhere private for a moment. Jack raised his eyebrows smirking. Rose smacked him, but couldn't hide a smile. Who knew, it might happen. Rose blinked, trying to dispel those thoughts. Jack just flashed his charming smile and let them go.

Once alone, the two looked at each other. The Doctor exhaled slowly as Rose closed her eyes. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what happened next.

**Next chapter we visit the Master...excited?**


	7. Meanwhile in a galaxy far, far away

**Hi guys! Just want to tell you guys that this chapter's a bit different. We get to see the Master and his partner Rick. We're "getting into the enemy's head", as they say. If it's bad, I'm sorry, I've never written from this point of view before. Hope you like it, and pretty please review! **

Harold Saxon was a man of many talents. His best talent was hypnotism. Part of that came from being a Time Lord. The other part came from his mind. In his mind was a sound...the sound of drums. Harold Saxon, the Master, whatever you wanted to call him, heard the sound of drums everyday. They told him what to do, as he'd realized years ago when he'd looked into the Time Vortex. He'd been 8 years old when he'd heard the call for war. The drums told him to take over the Earth in order to bring it to war with the universe, and he had. Two years later and here he was. Left with nothing. His plans thwarted. Thwarted by someone he used to call friend. The Doctor. Saxon was left with a burning desire for revenge. It wasn't until he met an ex Time Agent named Rick that he schemed for payback.

Saxon was on a rather remote planet, laying low. This was unlike him, as he liked to be the center of attention. He was bitter and wanted the Doctor to feel his wrath. One fateful day was all it took. One fateful day when he met an ex Time Agent with bitter feelings toward the Doctor.

Rick was angry. The Doctor had cost him the Battle of Canary Wharf. Rick hated the Daleks and was helping the Cybermen try to defeat them. You'd think the Doctor would love the chance to destroy his long-time enemy, but no. Him and his blasted companion had to go and pull the Cybermen into the Void. Years later and Rick's feelings of hatred had not died down.

"At least the Daleks were sucked in too." Rick muttered, but that thought did little to calm him. He could do nothing to make the Doctor's life hell unless he had help. Fate seemed to be on his side when he met Harold Saxon. They agreed to work together, their partnership fueled by their mutual hatred.

Rick studied Saxon's underground base. "Have you got what we need to pull this off?" he asked. Saxon gave a charming smile. "I do." Saxon did not mention the drums. Rick knew about Time Lords but not about the Master. It was better left that way.

One day, while deep in thought, Saxon heard the drums. He closed his eyes and focused on what they told him. The drums told him the Doctor had one weakness. Saxon had seen the weakness before, but hadn't fully realized it. Now he chuckled as plan began to form concerning the weakness. He had looked the weakness in the eye at one of his election campaigns. The weakness' name was Rose Tyler. He did not know how valuable Rose would be until he learned of Rick's past with the Doctor and Rose. _Another life the Doctor ruined, _he thought never-ending drums had led him to Rick and told him of the Doctor's weakness. Now they gave him a plan.

Both Saxon and Rick wanted to make the Doctor pay. Both had been left with nothing because of him. Rick decided the Doctor should be left with nothing as well.

"We need to give him a taste of his own medicine." He'd said. Saxon agreed.

"I took over the Earth once and he still managed to defeat me." the Master said, his voice dangerously soft.

Rick laughed without humor. "He loves the bloody planet way too much. There's gotta be something that means more to him than that pile of rocks." That's when the answer came to them. "Rose Tyler!"

They schemed for months, but when put in action, their plan failed. Rick was angry, but the Master was calm. The drums had told him now was not the right time. He remembered his connection with Rose weeks later when he started having flashes of images in his mind. Through these flashes, Saxon discerned that Rose was scared. He found he could spook her more by speaking in her mind.

When Saxon relayed his latest discovery to Rick, he was rather impressed. "It seems we have a convenient trick to our advantage." he said after Saxon informed him of his recent activities. Saxon nodded, a dangerous smile forming.

"I'll wait until the right time to send a message to our dear Rose Tyler." he replied, smirking evilly. As Rick walked away, the Master chuckled to himself. "After all, Doctor, love is weakness."

It wasn't until a few days later that the Master's opening came. He was just sitting in his office on his and Rick's base. Suddenly, his thoughts weren't his own. Closing his eyes, Saxon focused on the incoming vision and heard Rose Tyler's shaking voice:

"We just walked into the trap Saxon set to get us."

The Master nearly laughed out loud with glee. She was scared and wasn't hiding it. _Never thought I'd see the day come where Rose Tyler didn't hide her fear. _he mused to himself. Saxon heard the drums and knew this was the moment to send his message. He sensed Rose was in the TARDIS and focused his next thought on her. "_You can run, but you can't hide._" Saxon whispered menacingly.

As he was closing the connection, Rick walked in.

"Well?" Saxon smiled sickeningly. "Message delivered." Rick's smirk mirrored the Master's. "All we need now is a way to capture Rose right under the Doctor's nose." Saxon's evil grin grew.

"Leave that to me." Saxon looked toward the heavens. "Treasure the time you're spending with your girlfriend now, Doctor, because I'm about to take her from you."

**Well wasn't that sinister. What d'you guys think, too creepy? Or did I make portray some cool villains?**


	8. Kasey

**Hi guys! Sorry about the long wait, my family went on vacation, plus I had my uncle's wedding to be in. I also needed to think up a story for my new character. Please don't hate me, I'm trying my best. Enjoy!**

Jack sat in his favorite arm chair, thinking. He'd been contacted again. Before Rose and the Doctor came to him for help, he'd been contacted by a girl who seemed familiar. Her name was Kasey. Kasey had come to Jack asking him if he could help her find the last remaining member of her family. Jack agreed, and asked who it was she was looking for. Kasey's answer nearly gave him a heart attack. Kasey was looking for Rose Tyler.

Now, she wanted to know if he'd made progress. Jack laughed dryly to himself. He made progress alright. He told her to come over later, to give him time to prepare Rose. He looked to see her and the Doctor dancing. He smiled, remembering when he first met them. He sighed and made his way over to them.

"Rose, I need to talk to you. About Canary Wharf." Both Rose and the Doctor's eyes turned dark. Jack sighed. "I know, but something came up and I have a question." Rose sighed.

"What?" Jack grimaced. "Are you completely sure you…lost ALL your family?" Rose swallowed. He had to go and ask that. "Yes Jack. My mum, Pete, Mickey, they all got trapped in a parallel universe." Jack nodded. "What about your cousins?" Rose looked puzzled. "I have no idea, haven't spoken to my cousin since I was four or five." The Doctor looked sympathetic as Jack braced himself for the answer to his next question. "What is your cousin's name?" Rose blinked, still confused as to Jack's random questioning. "Her name's Kasey."

As Jack nodded and walked away, the Doctor looked at Rose.

"What the hell was that all about?" Rose shrugged. "I was gonna ask you the same thing." Rose wondered why Jack was acting so strange. "Doctor, did Jack seem kinda…nervous to you?" The Doctor nodded. "Oh yeah. He looked like he was going to faint."

Jack paced restlessly. Rose's answer proved everything: Kasey was her cousin. Not only was Rose and her boyfriend on the run, her freaking cousin showed up! _Isn't this gonna be fun…_he thought dryly. Jack knew he needed to tell Rose the truth. He just didn't want to face her yet; immortal or not, Rose could be scary when she was pissed off.

"Damn!" Like it or not, he had to tell Rose. She had to know.

Rose was sitting on the couch, leaning on the Doctor's chest. The Doctor played with her hair. Both were strangely quiet. Rose was deep in thought while the Doctor fretted about Jack's questions and the mysterious Kasey. They glanced up as Jack walked in, looking serious.

Jack swallowed, eyes glancing from Rose to the Doctor back to Rose. Finally he said, "We need to talk."

Rose and the Doctor looked at each other. "About what?" Rose asked quietly, already knowing the answer.

"Kasey."


	9. Stress Relief

Rose stiffened. She couldn't talk about Kasey. It hurt too much. "I can't Jack." She practically ran out of the room and into the TARDIS. The TARDIS hummed, sensing Rose's distress. Rose felt tears sting her eyes. "Hide me." She whispered to the TARDIS as the first tear fell.

The Doctor looked at Jack. "I think we need to leave for a while." Jack nodded, still a bit surprised at Rose's sudden action. "Kasey's coming over." The Doctor raised his eyebrows and sighed.

"You're mentioning that now?" Jack scowled. "It's what I needed to tell Rose." The Doctor shook his head. "As much as we both know she needs the truth, Rose can't take it right now." Jack sighed. "Guess I better tell Kasey."

As Jack went off to contact Kasey, the Doctor decided to go find Rose. He went into the TARDIS and noticed about twelve different hallways. He sighed. "Really? You're gonna hide her at a time like this?"

The TARDIS hummed, sounding slightly defensive. "I know she's upset, but it's never a good idea when you're left alone with your thoughts. Remember what I was like before I met Rose?"

The TARDIS hummed again, and she sounded slightly sad with a bit of sympathy.

The Doctor sighed. "I know you love her. I do too. You want to see her happy again just as much as I do. Please, let me see her."

A door appeared to his left. "Thank you." He said softly, patting the console.

Rose looked out at the stars, thinking about Kasey. She had always been more than a cousin. Kasey had been her best mate, besides Shareen. The two had been inseparable. And then Kasey had gone missing. Just five years old. And now, nearly sixteen years later she turns up? How did Jack fit into all this?

As Rose pondered this, she heard her bedroom door open. The Doctor had found her. She smiled inwardly; she could never hide from him for long. He sat down next to her, and after a moment put his arm around her. "You alright?"

Rose looked into his eyes, full of concern and love. She gave a small smile. "Yeah…just….stressed, y'know? We're on the run and then my cousin shows up? It's like a movie."

The Doctor chuckled. "Sounds like a movie America could produce." Rose's small smile grew and she laughed slightly. "I dunno, London can be like that." The Doctor shook his head as memories of previous adventures came up, a grin on his face. He turned serious for a minute.

"Tell you what: how about we try getting away for a bit. I know this is hard on you, and I know a place that's more peaceful than anything. Rose raised her eyebrows.

"You sure about that? Look at your track record; you said we were going to a crystal planet, got off course and we ended up on a zoo planet.

The Doctor grimaced. "TARDIS had other ideas." He muttered, but he saw the smirk on her face. "I won't mess up this time." Rose laughed.

"I'll keep my fingers crossed." She kissed his nose when they stood up and nearly went into cardiac arrest from laughter when he lost his footing from shock and fell over.

"Smooth move, Doctor. Way to impress a girl."

He rolled his eyes. "I fell for you a long time ago."

She laughed as he got up, ran a hand through his hair, straightened his jacket and got ready to take her to who-knew-where.

**I really need better ideas but this idea isn't even half finished yet! Tell me what you guys think! **


	10. The Hotel Room

**Hey guys! Sorry about making you wait so long, school took over my life for a bit. Pretty please review? It helps get me through school when I have reviews to read. My school's boring, it's not Time Lord Academy.**

Rose could not help but notice the TARDIS landing was rougher than usual. As the ship gave a final lurch, Rose lost her footing and fell. She braced herself for the impact, hoping she didn't re-injure her recently-healed wrist. She was surprised when she didn't feel the hard floor, but a soft pair of gentle, muscular arms.

"Gotcha." Came the Doctor's voice as he got Rose back on her feet. "Falling for me now, are you?" Rose rolled her eyes.

"Nope, you just need better landing skills." She quipped. Rose noticed his arm still around her and laughed. "You can let go now, I'm not falling anymore."

The Doctor looked down and saw that his arm was still indeed around Rose. He grinned sheepishly and let go.

"Since we're here, why don't you open the doors and see where we are?" Rose grinned and excitedly opened the door. Her jaw dropped in amazement. Outside the TARDIS was the most breathtaking planet she had ever seen. The sky was a brilliant swirl of purple and pink with green clouds that were just the right shade. There were waterfalls dotting the mountains, which, on closer inspection, Rose realized were made of amethyst and diamond. The ground was dusty like a dirt path, but the "dirt" was rainbow colored. Rose had never seen anything more beautiful in her life.

The Doctor grinned at Rose's expression. The awe and wonder at seeing the universe is what made the Doctor love traveling with humans. Especially Rose. She had a gift for appreciating the universe around her.

Rose turned the Doctor. "What's it called? The planet?"

"Slaka." The Doctor replied. "Brilliant name, and fun to say." Rose laughed. "What is it with you and funny-sounding names?" He shrugged. "Do I need a reason?" Rose rolled her eyes.

"Let's explore, isn't that what we came here for?" The Doctor chuckled. "Slow down, we came here to take a break, not go looking for trouble."

Rose grinned. "We still find it though." The Doctor shook his head, amused.

"Will you stop distracting me and let me find us a hotel?" he asked, starting to walk off. Rose laughed, grabbing his hand.

"I wasn't doing anything." She teased.

"Although what you just said sounded rather suggestive."

The Doctor was so startled he walked into a tree. Rose laughed at his expression. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights mixed with confusion at what he just did.

"Cat got your tongue, Doctor? By the way, there's a tree there."

He gave her a look. "Really? I didn't notice." Rose just grinned innocently.

"Can we just hurry up and get to that hotel?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"Now who's sounding suggestive?" Rose inwardly groaned. She knew she walked into that one.

"Thank god Jack isn't here." The Doctor had to cringe imagining that.

The Doctor managed to find a hotel where he didn't have a history of getting thrown out. He saw Rose shaking her head in amusement out of the corner of his eye. He rolled his eyes. It looked like Rose wouldn't let this one go for a while.

"Blimey, Rose, you're still laughing?"

He tried to sound exasperated but failed miserably. Rose just giggled more. The Doctor just shook his head, his grin betraying him.

"So, what's your record for NOT getting kicked out?"

Of course she had to go and ask that. Bloody humans. Damn her innocent grin.

"Dunno to be honest. And don't you dare hold that against me."

Rose just grinned like the Cheshire Cat. Oh hell. He was in for it now.

"I have to say, I'm a bit surprised about this."The Doctor looked up. He hadn't expected that response.

"What's surprising?" Rose raised her eyebrows.

"Isn't this a bit _domestic _for you?" She gestured around the room. The Doctor turned around. He _really _hadn't expected that.

"It's not that domestic. Besides, I'm sure there are fun things to do inside a hotel room." He felt himself go red as he froze. Did he just make an innuendo?

Rose blinked, a bit shocked, before her tongue poked between her teeth in a wide grin. She started laughing before she could stop herself. Her heart started beating faster.

"Did you just make an innuendo?"

The Doctor gaped. He didn't know what to say. Rose laughing her head off wasn't helping at all.

"Not intentionally." Although deep down he felt something. Little did he know that Rose felt it too.

Rose started feeling mischievous so she decided to toy with the Doctor.

"You sure about that?" Her grin grew wider.

The Doctor spun around.

"What?" He was really confused now. He couldn't tell if Rose was serious. He better tread carefully.

Rose just shook her head. He was adorable when he was confused.

"You heard me." Now the Doctor was a little more than nervous. He ran his hand through his spiky hair. It took all of Rose's self-control to keep a straight face.

The Doctor swallowed. "I'm sure."

Rose didn't think his high voice helped his case. Apparently neither did the Doctor, for he slightly grimaced. She inwardly laughed. This was too much fun.

"Well, if you're sure…" She walked over to him and put her arms around his neck. She could feel both his hearts speed up. Time for the finale. She kissed him softly, totally taking him by surprise. She noticed with satisfaction it didn't take him long to respond.

They finally broke off to breathe. Too bad Rose didn't have a respiratory bypass system. Rose looked into his eyes.

As soon as she did, the game was up. She knew the Doctor could see the gleam in her eyes. She watched him put two and two together.

The Doctor realized Rose had been messing with him when he looked into her eyes. They both started laughing.

"You little trickster!" The Doctor finally managed to say when they calmed down. Rose grinned.

"You're adorable when you're flustered."

They sat down on the bed. That was the moment when they both noticed there was one. Rose looked at the Doctor and the Doctor looked at Rose.

"Oh boy…" They said in unison. They might be together, but they weren't there yet. Key word being _yet_.


End file.
